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Most of those who have taken steps to prepare for a
post-collapse America have acquired the basic essential
goods and trading
supplies that will
be needed in the event of worst-case economic, financial or societal
collapse. We’ve created bug-out, bug-in, and self defense plans that we
hope will be sufficient enough to give us the edge against potential thieves,
looters and criminals who will
undoubtedly be coming for our supplies when resources in the general population begin to
run dry. Stocked with the latest in SHTF
weaponary and ammunition, the overwhelming majority of us believe that we’ll be able to
neutralize any threat that may present itself.

In general, the three
million preppers in
America will no doubt hold several key advantages over non-preppers, namely
that we’ve stocked larder to provide the energy we need to function at
optimal production levels, land that is isolated or well secured against the
inevitable hordes of people looking basic survival goods like food, and
firearms to defend what’s ours.

However, despite how prepared we think we are, if
there’s one principle by which preppers should operate it’s that
best laid plans generally don’t pan out the way we anticipated.
Murphy’s law will be in full effect in a post-collapse scenario. As
such, we must operate from the standpoint that “anything that can go wrong
will go wrong.”

Many of us may (wrongly) assume that our guns and
thousands of rounds of ammunition will be all that is needed to defend our
homes against those who would do us harm, and that our well honed shooting
skills will allow us to quickly incapacitate would-be attackers.

Speak to any soldier who’s been in a firefight
and you’ll quickly learn that this is not usually the case.

While you may be able to accurately hit static
targets at the range, if you’re engaged in a real life or death
scenario your target will be moving, they’ll likely be coordinating
with other elements of their raiding party, and most important of all,
they’ll be shooting back.

That’s right, you won’t be the only one
with the firearms and best laid plans.

As such, we must look to force multipliers which,
through enhanced technology, strategies and equipment, increase our
probability of victory.

For those preparing for the end of the world as we
know it and a battle for resources, one such force multiplier which can
provide a significant advantage on a number of different levels is body
armor.

The fact of the matter is that if your home or
property are under attack and you’re firing down range, in all
likelihood the attackers are not coming at you with machetes and rocks. You
can bet they’ll be shooting back at you – and they’ll be
shooting to kill.

In the video below, James Yeager of Tactical Response, gives some insight into the different types and
protection levels of body armor that you should consider adding to your
preparedness supplies.

How effective is body armor? In February of 1997 two
bank robbers armed with fully-automatic AK-47′s and wearing heavy body
armor were confronted by some 400 LAPD police officers. They were repeatedly
hit by small arms fire, yet continued the shootout with police for some 40
minutes before they were finally eliminated by police SWAT snipers and LAPD
officers who had acquired high powered rifles from local gun shops.

As you consider your home and property defense
plans, think about the type of weaponry your attackers may be utilizing as
they attempt to overtake you. How would you do it? Then, consider that
classification levels of body armor you will need to protect against those
weapons.

NIJ (National Institute for Justice)
Standard-0101.04 establishes six formal armor classification types, as well
as a seventh special type.

Type I (.22 LR; .380 ACP)
This armor protects against .22 long rifle lead round nose (LR LRN) bullets,
with nominal masses of 2.6 g (40 gr), impacting at a minimum velocity of 320
m/s (1050 ft/s) or less, and against .380 ACP full metal jacketed round nose
(FMJ RN), with nominal masses of 6.2 g (95 gr), impacting at a minimum
velocity of 312 m/s (1025 ft/s) or less. Type I body armor is light. This is
the minimum level of protection every officer should have, and the armor
should be routinely worn at all times while on duty. Type I body armor was
the armor issued during the NIJ demonstration project in the mid-1970s. Most
agencies today, however, because of increasing threats, opt for a higher
level of protection.

Type II-A (9mm; .40 S&W)
This armor protects against 9mm full metal jacketed round nose (FMJ RN)
bullets, with nominal masses of 8.0 g (124 gr), impacting at a minimum
velocity of 332 m/s (1090 ft/s) or less, and .40 S&W caliber full metal
jacketed (FMJ) bullets, with nominal masses of 11.7 g (180 gr), impacting at
a minimum velocity of 312 m/s (1025 ft/s) or less. It also provides
protection against Type I threats. Type II-A body armor is well suited for
full-time use by police departments, particularly those seeking protection
for their officers from lower velocity 9mm and 40 S&W ammunition.

Type II (9mm; .357 Magnum)
This armor protects against 9mm full metal jacketed round nose (FMJ RN)
bullets, with nominal masses of 8.0 g (124 gr), impacting at a minimum
velocity of 358 m/s (1175 ft/s) or less, and .357 Magnum jacketed soft point
(JSP) bullets, with nominal masses of 10.2 g (158 gr), impacting at a minimum
velocity of 427 m/s (1400 ft/s) or less. It also provides protection against
Type I and Type IIA threats. Type II body armor is heavier and more bulky than
either Types I or II-A. It is worn full time by officers seeking protection
against higher velocity .357 Magnum and 9mm ammunition.

Type III-A (High Velocity 9mm; .44 Magnum)
This armor protects against 9mm full metal jacketed round nose (FJM RN)
bullets, with nominal masses of 8.0 g (124 gr), impacting at a minimum
velocity of 427 m/s (1400 ft/s) or less, and .44 Magnum jacketed hollow point
(JHP) bullets, with nominal masses of 15.6 g (240 gr), impacting at a minimum
velocity of 427 m/s (1400 ft/s) or less. It also provides protection against
most handgun threats, as well as the Type I, II-A, and II threats. Type III-A
body armor provides the highest level of protection currently available from
concealable body armor and is generally suitable for routine wear in many
situations. However, users located in hot, humid climates may need to
evaluate the use of Type III-A armor carefully.

Type III (Rifles)
This armor protects against 7.62mm full metal jacketed (FMJ) bullets (U.S.
military designation M80), with nominal masses of 9.6 g (148 gr), impacting
at a minimum velocity of 838 m/s (2750 ft/s) or less. It also provides
protection against Type I through III-A threats. Type III body armor is
clearly intended only for tactical situations when the threat warrants such
protection, such as barricade confrontations involving sporting rifles.

Type IV (Armor Piercing Rifle)
This armor protects against .30 caliber armor piercing (AP) bullets (U.S.
military designation M2 AP), with nominal masses of 10.8 g (166 gr), impacting
at a minimum velocity of 869 m/s (2850 ft/s) or less. It also provides at
least single-hit protection against the Type I through III threats. Type IV
body armor provides the highest level of protection currently available.
Because this armor is intended to resist “armor piercing”
bullets, it often uses ceramic materials. Such materials are brittle in
nature and may provide only single-shot protection, since the ceramic tends
to break up when struck. As with Type III armor, Type IV armor is clearly intended
only for tactical situations when the threat warrants such protection.

Off the Grid
News offers
some additional items to consider before purchasing body armor:

At a minimum, the vest you purchase should have the
ability to accept hard plates, and that usually means purchasing exposed
armor. Exposed armor like military IBA and IOTV vests (and clones) as well as
plate-carrier-type systems have some serious advantages for the wearer. For
starters, they are usually designed to by much tougher externally and use
fabrics on the outside like 1000 denier nylon – ultra strong. They also
accept hard plates for the front and back, and some models accept side plates.
These vests and plate carriers are also usually equipped with MOLLE loops so
you can add ammunition and sustainment pouches to the vest, giving you a full
load out at your fingertips. Accessories are also widely available—
things that take protection to the next level such as collar yokes and groin
protectors and clever features like pull releases to drop the armor in the
event of an emergency.

If you’ve got the preparedness basics covered,
body armor should be your next serious consideration. When your enemy is
shooting back there is a good possibility someone you love can be seriously
injured or killed. While body armor is not going to provide 100% protection,
it is a force multiplier that can certainly give you, your family and friends
a much better chance of repelling an attack. As we saw with the 1997 bank
robbery, body armor can give you the ability to take a lickin’ and keep
on kickin’, while the enemy at the gates may not have such a benefit.
Additionally, in a collapse scenario there will be no doctors or emergency
rooms, so even bullet wounds that are survivable with modern hospital care
can quickly become deadly

Food ...check Water...check Guns and ammo...check Gold,silver and bartering supplies...check SANITY...UNCHECK The worst thing anyone could do if the SHTF is to isolate themselves and in fact it would be much safer if those completely paranoid about the Read more

SANITY...UNCHECKThe worst thing anyone could do if the SHTF is to isolate themselves and in fact it would be much safer if those completely paranoid about the SHTF would be best off joining the marauding herd in the first place!

Don't waste your breath. The people for whom this article is intended have a different world view. In other words, they live on a different planet. The way they see things, it is possible that the sort of violence that is going on in Greece and Spain, and the "Arab Spring", could happen anywhere in the world, including the U.S. They seem to think that something as trivial as a war with Iran might cause the price of oil to spike over $200, and that could cause some trouble with the economy. From what I gather, these folks would view this article similarly to a discussion of what sort of add-ons they should make to their insurance policy.

Plate carrier type is a good choice for a SHTF defensive situation and will store much better. Fabric body armor has a "shelf life" and after a few years begins to degrade and lose more and more ability to protect. I can probably make or barter for a replacement plate but I doubt I would be able to home spin new Kevlar.